This is Ruth Tolmachoff, at 5 months old, listening to a story being "read" by her 2 1/2 year old sister, Sarah. When she sent me this picture to accompany her entry for chapter 5, she said that her mom wanted me to know that even though Ruth is "hamming it up for the camera," her family was teaching her early literacy skills by having her sister read to her. Ruth said, "It must have worked because I love reading!"
I think you'll see in her entry that her love of reading is accompanied by a talent for writing. Enjoy.
Ruth wrote:
While reading this chapter about children exposed to lapware, brain research, and the Internet, I kept thinking about different examples from the children I babysit. I have been babysitting for about eight years. Throughout my entire babysitting experiences, children have enjoyed playing some of the same classic games, like hide-and-seek, house, and tag. However, lately I have noticed a change in how children play and what they play with.
When I first started babysitting, I only had to worry about how much television a child watched, or which siblings’ turn it was to pick a movie. Now I have to monitor and balance how much time a child watches television, plays video games, and is on the computer. I do not know how many times I have turned off the television, saying it is time to do something else, and am asked if they can go onto the computer or play Wii. In their minds, playing Nintendo DS is different than a Game Boy, and Wii is different than PlayStation.
Another example that comes to my mind involves another of the families I babysit for; they have a four-year-old girl and an eleven-month-old boy. The parents taught their daughter that when her brother is crying, she can go onto the computer to play games on the PBS and Nickelodeon websites. She will just click from game to game, and I get scared that one day, she will keep clicking on links, and who knows where she will end up. There is too much scary stuff on the Internet that she can access. She gets mad when I am there and do not let her on the computer. I have to watch her carefully because she will try to sneak onto it without my knowing. Thankfully, she also loves role playing, reading books, and playing outside! She has loved puppies her whole life, and her favorite game right now is to pretend that we are puppies who are looking for penguins (you’d be amazed how well penguins can hide)! Her brother loves watching his sister running around the house as she plays these games.
However, even before reading this chapter, I thought that he had too many electronic toys. He has a steering wheel, a piano keyboard, balls, and various other toys that light up and play music. While these might be a good distraction as his parents sneak out the door, I try not to let him play with them much. We play peek-a-boo, take walks to the park, and play hide-and-seek with his sister (he always gives up our hiding spot when he hears his sister coming close!).
Gary Malone, a professor of one of my classes, said the other day, “Batteries never run out on a pot lid.” He was trying to make the point that children do not need expensive toys with the latest technology to have fun and learn. They need to interact with their environment to learn about it, not with “educational” software. This is also Elkind’s point: “There is no evidence that early exposure to computers gives children an edge in computer literacy, self-confidence, or self-esteem” (p. 108). Children would be better off if we just let them play with the pots and pans, unroll the toilet paper roll, and repeatedly drop their spoons on the floor. Children do not need technology to teach them about their world. They need to interact with it to learn that when you pull the cat’s tail you will get scratched (like my little cousin learned!). Just think, if they are playing with cat tails and pans, you do not have to worry about changing the batteries!
Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog posting about Elkind's fear of media and technological influences. First of all, let me applaud you for all of your babysitting experiences! I am sure you are a life-saver for many parents out there! I completely agree with your comments about the different types of play that occurs in the children of today's generation. I remember when my sisters and I were younger and our favorite thing to do was sit outside on the deck with our grandfather in chase loungers and make designs out of the clouds in the sky. There was never moments in my childhood where I remembered playing video games and watching many movies. We did not have the electronic toys that were popular in my childhood (like giga-pets, nintendo, playstation, etc) and we were more influenced to read and engage in pretend play.
I have been around children for many past occupations and they are very involved in the media and technology. This past Christmas, my family bought a Wii. My Grandmother and I are not technologically advanced, so our immediate though was to read the entire manual cover to cover! Our neighbor, who is 6 years old, walked over to our house and set the entire Wii up and explained to my grandma that he would come over every day at 4:30 to play Wii bowling championships. My grandma had an immediate laugh because of his comment, but she couldn't help but think about her grandchildren when they were 6 years old. We were more concerned with who would play mommy when we played house, or who was hiding under the deck in the backyard during hide and go seek.
Children are being influenced through popular media to have the newest forms of technology. Ipods, Nintendo DS, and even laptops! I see many children having these systems that I myself have just bought recently! I just bought an Ipod a few months ago and my first laptop a year ago and I am double the ages of the children getting these items for the first time!
I think another problem that our society has is the issue with cell phones. I realize that cell phones for young adults are necessary for protection and safety. But what 7 year old needs a cell phone? The same neighbor that helped us with the Wii has an Iphone, and he is 6 years old. What is the purpose of this? It is teaching our children to grow up so much faster than they really should. I agree with the comment that Ruth incorporated from her professor about the fact that pots never run out of batteries! This is completely true! Children find fun out of the simplest items. The girl that I babysit for loves to rip paper. If she is not harming anyone else, then let her play with the paper. We need to let children explore their surroundings and create ideas on their own. Let our children BE children.
Ruth, first off, I love the picture! Too cute! Like you, I too grew up in a family that promoted and valued early literacy. It's made all the difference in the world, I think. Kudos to your family, and thank you for sharing! Now, onto chapter five: Without question, there is an abundance of ever-emerging technological advances and innovations that promote hurrying by placing both intellectual and social demands on our children that are exceedingly inappropriate. Our technological culture is expanding, and with it, expectations for technological knowledge are growing, even for very young children. This is reflected nearly everywhere we look, particularly in the computer-software-program industry targeted for young children. While reading through chapter five, I found it unsettling that much of the so-called benefits of these programs are, according to Elkind, overstated, and at best, based on misinterpretations of research. But beyond questionable effectiveness, what's perhaps even more unsettling is the idea that these programs, supposedly aimed at improving children's learning, may provide more risks than benefits. Risks include overstimulation, largely because the visual system is immature until the end of year two, and also because infants and young children are not yet efficient at using and manipulating symbols. Risks also include potential negative impact on parent-child relationships, and, something that you mentioned because you noticed it directly in your babysitting experiences: the replacement of "real world" learning and play with technology. This can be devastating to a child. Thank goodness the four year old you babysit continues to have a passion for play, even amidst her deep interests in technology. I hope that passion for play is something she never loses sight of. It sounds like you're doing your part to instill and maintain that in her. Good for you. It's undeniable that kids today are growing up in a technological world, one that values such innovations and advances more and more. The danger is that by doing so, it (even if inadvertently) it values technological knowledge more than things like play, development of social skills and healthy attachment, and real-world, hands-on learning. This is unfair to children, who, in effect are not only being robbed of opportunities to grow in more meaningful, less damaging ways, but are being placed at more risk for potential exposure to negative influences. Worse yet, persuaded by guilt and fear that their child will be left behind without some grasp of technological intelligence, it's a risk that many parents are willing to take. I absolutely love the quote you included by Gary. It is such a simple, yet powerful truth. And you expanded beautifully on it... Children don't need technology or fancy educational gizmos to learn, to grow, or to succeed. Elkind too, argues that all that computer software programs have to offer can be acquired in other ways, and minus the stress! Above all else, he says, children need a healthy sense that the world is a safe place; that their needs will be met; and that they will be cared for and protected by the grown-ups in their world (p.105). I think you can agree: the value of this far outweighs all else.
ReplyDeleteAglaed Garcia
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elkind’s and Ruth’s point of view. It is not necessary for parents to expose their children to technology at a young age. Some parents believe that if their children are exposed to a computer at a young age, their child will be more advanced academically. However, they do not consider the risk of accessing inappropriate websites that could have a negative impact on their behaviors. Children can easily go to an adult webpage and accidentally type or click a mistake on the keyboard. When children are growing up, they become very curious about things with which they are not familiar. As a result, they explore on their own, becoming more vulnerable to running into adult websites. This reminds me of my brother’s seven year old friend. One day his friend came over to my house to show my brother his new laptop that he had gotten for his birthday. I was very impressed because I noticed that the seven year old boy knew how to manage a computer. He knew how to use many of the programs. He was telling my brother that his parents would let him stay up late at night using his computer. I was very surprised this little boy knew so much about technology at his young age. That same day, my mother was concerned because she had been nosy, and saw my brother’s friend typing inappropriate words. When the seven year old’s mother came to pick him up, my mother told her that she was concerned because she had seen her son typing inappropriate words in the computer. Children do not need the technology in order to learn and explore. I believe that children need to play common games for children with their peers rather than spending hours in front of a computer. Children need the opportunity to be children and explore the natural environment. For instance, it is healthier for kids to play their normal outside activities that include hide and seek, tag, a trip with mom to the park, or simply running outside with friends.
Ruth,
ReplyDeleteYour experiences with the kids you babysit are much like my experiences with my own kids. They have a lot of high tech toys and I find myself constantly asking if they are necessary. From age six months to one year, my kids’ favorite toy in the car has been an empty water bottle. Like you said: I don’t need to change the batteries on that. Toys today leave little reason for kids’ imaginations to soar. A baby that laughs and cries and urinates is a little overboard. Kids will naturally make their babies do these things by using their brains, thus encouraging further development. Simple is often better and encourages kids to use their imagination, which is very important for healthy development.
Bobie Walker
Ruth, I found your entry interesting to read. A babysitting experience of yours rang true with me when I thought of my nephew and the amount of television viewing he does. My older brother and his family were visiting in February. During that visit I noticed how much television my nephew watched on a daily basis. I was frustrated with his parents because they allowed him to do it often! And to top it off, they claimed their son enjoyed scary movies. I had to keep reminding myself he wasn’t my son, and I struggled as to whether or not I should have talked to his parents about my feelings towards the situation. I didn’t understand why my nephew wasn't involved with more physical activities, or why his parents chose to sit him in front of a television as a form of a babysitting tool. Maybe it is because I’m not a parent. I feel like he is being robbed of his childhood and it saddens me. I wish more parents like my brother and his wife were aware of the effects of television viewing on children.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your entry Ruth, and it was interesting reading about some of your experiences with babysitting. My favorite point you made was when you said, “Children do not need technology to teach them about their world.” This is so true and I couldn’t agree more. Children need to explore the world themselves to better understand it. In my opinion, the best way to learn is by doing and hands on exploration allows this. I think technology is getting in the way and it creates an obstacle for learning. I can see how learning to use a computer is beneficial, but it doesn’t need to start at an early age. I know a 3 year old who occupies herself with playing on the Sesame Street website!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was a kid that nothing satisfied me more than watercolors and a pad of paper. I would sit outside in breezy afternoons and paint the afternoon away. I also loved boxes! So much can be done with a simple box. It allows a child to be creative and develop good problem solving skills. Sure, I had technological toys as a kid, but I remember getting bored with them after awhile. I have more memories of coming up with my own ideas of play than I do of gadget toys that I had. The imagination can stretch itself to unlimited possibilities, but we need to give children this opportunity. I’d choose to imagine a box is a cave over learning hand eye coordination with Wii any day.